Sucker-rod and casing elevator.



L. L. RICHARD.

SUCKER ROD AND CASING ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY8| 1916- m MM w R 4 m M m Mm M m p; w a P 5 mm F j 7 8 m 1 W ii A TTORNE Y.

LEROY L. BICD, OF COALINGA, CALIFORNIA.

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V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 191?.

Application filed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 96,065.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY L. RICHARD, a citizen of the "United States, residing at Coalinga, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sucker-Rod and Casing Elevators, of which the .following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to the class of devices employed in the well-boring art, for lifting, temporarily supporting and manipue lating certain parts such as the sucker-rod or the casing, so that they may be connected or disconnected, said devices being commonly known as elevators.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eifective elevator for this purpose, and to this end my invention consists in thenovel elevator which I shall hereinafter fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my elevator.

Fig. 2 is an end View, one side being in section in the plane of the sucker-rod.

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view showing the jaw-members open and the stop in the hinge to limit the swinging movement.

. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the inner face of one of the jaw-members.

Fi 5 is a similar view of the other jawmem er. 4

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1, showing the hinge-end.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the provision of a positive lock for the jaw-members, if desired."

The *elevator comprises complemental jawmembers 1 and 2, united at one end by a hinge pintle 3, enabling them'to swing in a plane at right angles to their meeting faces in order to open and close the device.

The inner or meeting faces of the jaw members are fashioned to embrace the sucker-rod" or casing. In the present case each jaw-member is formed with a groove constituting one-half of the rod or casing receiving socket 4, which extends completely across the width of the members, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. On their outer surfaces the members have the ears 5 for the suspending links 6. The two jaw-members interlock by means of interengaging devices which are here shown as tongues and grooves, preferably extending the entire length of said members above and below.

The groove in member 1, is indicated by 7 and the tongue of member 2 is indicated by 8, while the tongue of member 1 is indicated by 9., and the groove of member 2 by 10, The engagement and release of these tongues and grooves are dependent upon and effected-by a bodily relative movement of the jaw members. in'the plane of their meeting faces, parallel with the axis of their swinging movement, that is, up and down. To permit this engaging and releasing movement, the hinge comprises the pintle 3 and the free-playing interfitting ears 11, .slidably fitted upon said pintle, which latter has a length sufficient in connection with the free-play of the hinge-ears to enable the jaw-members to move relatively up or down in the plane of their meeting faces to an extent which will disengage the tongues and grooves from each other, and to allow them to fit together again.

12 in Fig. 2 indicates a sucker-rod, which for the sake of illustration, 1 here show as the part upon which the elevator is used, though said part may, obviously, be the well-casing.

The sucker-rod has the usual pin member 13 of the coupling by which, in conjunction with the box member, not shown, the sectionsof rod are connected. The shoulder 14 of the pin member 13 rests on top of the jaw members 1 and 2' of the elevator, while the rod itself passes down through the socket 4 of the jaw members.

It will now be seen that the elevator can be readily fitted to the sucker-rod by slipping thereon its end. when open, until the rod lies in position to be embraced by the socket 4 of the jaw members, as in Fig.

2. Then the jaw members beingswung together, until they meet, and their tongues and grooves-lie in alinement, one of said members, to wit, member 2, drops down to effect the interengagement of said tongues and grooves, as in Fig. 1. The suspending links 6'being then lifted the elevator slips up to the shoulder l l of the sucker rod pin 13 and the rod 12 being lifted, its weight holds the. two jaw members interlocked. To release the elevator the weight on the jaw members being relieved by any extraneous support, a slight lift on one of the links will raise the jaw member 2 sufiiciently to disengage the tongues and grooves, whereupon the members may be swung open.

To provide for an easy and accurate adjustment or fit of the elevator on the rod, I provide the socket 4 with the corresponding beveled or inclined side surfaces 15, so

that upon the closing swinging movement.

of the jaw members, these beveled surfaces, contacting with the rod, will serve to guide and direct the respective parts to their perfect embracement.

In order to insure this efiect, I provide the hinge ears-11 with a stop at 16, so that the jaw members 1 and 2 can only open a limited distance, which is sufiiciently small to present the innermost beveled surfaces 15 as an obstruction to the rod, whereby said rod cannot pass in too far to be affected by said surfaces.

In the common type of elevators in which complementary jaw-members are hinged together at one end and in which the locking is effected by some form of latch at the free end, the tendency of the suspended weight, acting through the links and the side ears,

to separate the jaw-members along their' meeting lower edges is borne entirely by the hinge and latch. These parts are not designed for such strain nor are they effective in resisting it, and, in consequence, it sometimes results that both parts are warped, bent and twisted, thereby materially affecting their functions.

In my device this strain is taken entirely by the direct interlocking of the jaw members, which is of such a nature that the connection cannot be impaired while in use; and, as long as the weight is imposed upon the elevator, the interlock will remain intact and perfect; and all strain is removed from the hinge connection, which thus serves its only roper function. The beveled surfaces 15 of therod-receiving socket 4;, by fitting together, also relieve any strain on the hinge, due to any tendency to relative longitudinal movement of the two jawmembers.

The interlock of the jaw-members is further strengthened by the fact that the shoulder 14 of the pin 13 of the sucker-rod is usually, as shown at 17 in Fig. 2, rounded or .tapering, and this shoulder fitting, wedge-like, into the corresponding top of the socket 4 tends to-spread the jaw members, thus increasing the frictional contact of the sides of the tongues and grooves and insuring the jaws-against relative unlocking movement, even if unequal suspension strain be assumed, which inequality, however, is unlikely, as the weight is imposed equally upon both jaws.

If it be desired, however, to provide against the possibility of disengaging movement, any common form of positive lock may be employed which will hold the two jaws in locked position.

For example, I have shown in Fig. 7 a spring-controlled bevel-headed latch 18 .pendin seated in the jaw member 2 and adapted to automatically engage the jaw member 1.

With this form of latch the jaw-member 2 may drop to its seat, but cannot rise again from the hinge pintle, the. rod or casing-' receiving socket 4 may be located at substantially the middle of the length of the jaw' members, thereby better adapting the elevator to find a secure and even seat upon,

the top of the casing when resting thereon; this advantage being in marked contrast to the common type in which, to lessen the strain on the hinge, the socket is usually placed nearer the hinge end than the latch end of the elevator.

I claim 1. A sucker-rod and easing elevator comprising complementary jaw-members the meeting faces of which are fashioned to embrace the rod or casing; a connection between said jaw-members adapting them for an opening and closing movement, and for a relative movement, in all positions, in the plane of their meeting faces; and interengaging devices on said jaw-members for locking them against their opening and closing movement and depending for their engagement and release upon the relative movement of said members in the Plane of their meeting faces.

2. A sucker-rod and casing elevator comprising complementary swinging jaw-members the meeting faces of which are fashioned -to' embrace the rod or casing, said members being free in all positions for relative movement in the plane of their meeting faces, parallel with their aims of swinging movement and having parts interlocking against said swinging movement and defor engagement and release upon said re ative movement; and a hinge connection between said members at one end adapting them for swinging movement at right angles to the plane of their meeting faces, said hinge connection having a play sufiicient to. permit said relative movement of said members in the plane of their meeting faces.

3. A sucker-rod and easing elevator comprising complementary jaw-members the meeting faces of which are fashioned to embrace the rod or casing; a connection between said jaw-members adapting them for an opening and closing movement, and for a relative movement, in all positions, in the plane of their meeting faces; and tongues and grooves on the meeting faces of the jaw-members interlocking against the opening and closing movement of said jaw-members and depending for their engagement and release upon the relative movement of said members in the -plane of their meeting faces.

4:. A sucker-rod and casing elevator comprising complementary swinging Jaw-members the meeting faces of which are fashioned to embrace the rod or casing, said members being free in all positions for rela tive movement in the plane of their meeting faces, parallel with their axis of swinging movement and having tongues and grooves interlocking against said swinging movement and depending for engagement and release upon said relative movement; and a hinge connection between said members at one end adapting them for swinging movement at right angles to the plane of their meeting faces, said hinge connection having a play sufficient to permit said relative movement of said members in the plane of their meeting faces.

5. A sucker-rod and easing elevator comprising complementary jaw-members, their meeting faces being fashioned to embrace the rod or casing, and formed with corresponding opposing beveled surfaces adapted to direct the entering rod or casing to its embracement, said surfaces coacting when the members are closed, to lock them against relative longitudinal movement; a hinge connection between said jaw-members at one end adapting them for swinging movement, said connectlon having a play suflicient for a relative movement of the members in the plane offi'theirz meeting faces: parallel with their axis of swinging movement; and interlocking devices on the meeting faces of said jaw-members, disposed for engagement and release by the relative movement of the members in the plane of their meeting faces.

6. A sucker-rod and easing elevator comprising complementary j aw-members hinged at one end for swinging movement, the meeting faces of said members being fashioned to embrace the rod or casing, and having interengaging tongues and grooves disposed for engagement and release by a relative movement of said members in the plane of their meeting faces, parallel with their axis of swinging movement, and said members having opposing corresponding surfaces coacting when the members are closed to lock them against relative longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEROY L. RICHARD. Witnesses:

WM. F. Boom, D. B. RICHARDS. 

